Comfort in trains

[kendun]

Since I started commuting by train, I have realised that the comfort levels in different trains/ train companies varies significantly.

My commute involves travelling by transpennine express, arriva wales, merseyside and northernrail. I find TPE to be the best followed by arriva wales and then merseyrail and northern rail as the worst in terms of comfort. Will they change the northern rail trains at all ? compared to the other companies northern rail trains seem like third world country trains

what are the views of other members of the forum?

 

[Schnellzug]

Your commute involves four different companies?
Do TPE's Desiros have the same seats as other kinds of Desiro? They'll be glad to have one fan at least.
The best, of course, are 142s with the original bus seats.

 

[387star]

Pacers have a novelty but I can see they are unsuitable common knowledge of course.

However I think 156s, 158s, 153s and even 150s are great trains when refurbished nicely certainly not third world

 

[TGV]

You might find that the track quality has a significant effect on the comfort as much as the performance of the train suspension. A Eurostar running on old jointed track will probably feel worse than a 142 on new CWR in terms of shock loads. Hypothetically speaking of course.

 

[kendun]

My assessment of comfort's based on leg room, heating and ability to sit in a comfortable position/ being able to doze/ nod off - it's impossible on northern rail
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Your commute involves four different companies?

Yep, Bolton to Bache

 

[Nym]

Northern's 156 and 158 fleet are rather comfy...

 

[Ivo]

Yep, Bolton to Bache

Can't you get away with just TP and ME for that? Or do you have to go via Chester rather than Liverpool?

I suppose it would be faster though, and 507s and 508s aren't exactly my idea of Heaven

 

[317666]

It depends really, as far as comfort goes TOCs can't please everybody. Some people prefer hard seats, others prefer soft seats. Some people prefer dim lighting, some people prefer bright lighting.

Personally, I prefer dim lighting and softer seats, although being well over 6ft tall, legroom is definitely an issue!

 

[kendun]

Can't you get away with just TP and ME for that? Or do you have to go via Chester rather than Liverpool?

I suppose it would be faster though, and 507s and 508s aren't exactly my idea of Heaven

It's do with the timinf, need to be in bache by 8 and travelling via northern rail becomes a necessity. Just the switch from TPE to a northern rail train makes such a big difference - end up sitting spreadeagled on northern rail due to limited legroom and no head support either + no heating ....I guess if I hadn't been on a TPE/Arriva train I wouldnt have noticed the difference and would have simply accepted it....

 

[Sheridan]

Merseyrail's 507/8 comfort depends on whether I am in a seat which has a gap between it and the one next to it, or on one which is pushed up against the next one. Similarly, some are squeezed in against the side, while most have a bit more space on the window side.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Can't you get away with just TP and ME for that? Or do you have to go via Chester rather than Liverpool?

I suppose it would be faster though, and 507s and 508s aren't exactly my idea of Heaven

TransPennine don't go from Bolton to Liverpool or Chester, only to Manchester where you'd have to either get a Northern stopper via Altrincham or an ATW Llandudno service.

Must admit, Bolton to Bache isn't the best of routes, as although it can be done with two changes (TransPennine from Bolton to Manchester, Arriva from Manchester to Chester and Merseyrail from Chester to Bache), its actually thirty minutes quicker to go via Wigan (crossing from Wallgate to North Western) and Newton-le-Willows.

In a rare spell, I'd actually prefer to drive than take the train!

 

[kendun]

its actually thirty minutes quicker to go via Wigan (crossing from Wallgate to North Western) and Newton-le-Willows.

!

Is this possible to be at Bache for 8 AM? National rails and Eastcoast rail websites options don't show this in the morning? any tips for a quicker journey to be at Bache by 8 is appreciated.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Is this possible to be at Bache for 8 AM? National rails and Eastcoast rail websites options don't show this in the morning? any tips for a quicker journey to be at Bache by 8 is appreciated.

There's a route via Warrington that gets on to Bache for 0811.

 

[Beveridges]

Northern 156's are certainly comfortable, I'd even say some of my journeys on rather empty 156's have been better than journeys with TPEs!!
Unlike the 142's & 150's, which are pretty bad as far as comfort is concerned
The problem is on most Northern routes you dont know what type of unit could turn up, it could be an uncomfortable 142, or it could be a 156, and the difference between travelling a 142 and 156 is far bigger than the difference between any first and second class on any type of train.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Northern 156's are certainly comfortable, I'd even say some of my journeys on rather empty 156's have been better than journeys with TPEs!!
Unlike the 142's & 150's, which are pretty bad as far as comfort is concerned
The problem is on most Northern routes you dont know what type of unit could turn up, it could be an uncomfortable 142, or it could be a 156, and the difference between travelling a 142 and 156 is far bigger than the difference between any first and second class on any type of train.

That's very true, I've seen this now that Northern's 180s have gone. Passenger comfort is of the utmost priority.

 

[Badger]

I think it depends on the person - I prefer the "comfort" of the openness of an EMT HST, due to the low back seats, whereas others prefer the high back seats of a Meridian or Pendelino..

I have to say though since Cross Country moved the seats around in the class 170s I can't fit in most of the seats. It's tables or priority seating for me now. (Though a seat is a rarity!)

 

[kendun]

There's a route via Warrington that gets on to Bache for 0811.

Hi Dan, Thanks for that. Could post the route summary/ timings when you can please? I'll have a look on eastcoast now.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Hi Dan, Thanks for that. Could post the route summary/ timings when you can please? I'll have a look on eastcoast now.

I think he means this:

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timetable/details?id=2&return=false&callingPage=tf

 

[ValleyLines142]

Hi Dan, Thanks for that. Could post the route summary/ timings when you can please? I'll have a look on eastcoast now.

Yes, I shall below:

I think he means this:

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timetable/details?id=2&return=false&callingPage=tf

That link doesn't seem to be working for me, so I'll post manually:

0619 Bolton to Preston arr 0642 (TPE)
0656 Preston to Warrington Bank Quay arr 0717 (Virgin)
0722 Warrington BQ to Chester due 0750 (ATW)
0807 Chester to Bache due 0811 (ME)